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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Israel - Police struggle to handle uptick in mafia bomb hits

Two people were killed Thursday evening after their car
exploded when they were driving on Highway 5 near Petah Tikva in a suspected
hit connected with the criminal underworld. The blast was the latest in a
series of organized crime assassinations using explosives, many of which
detonated in crowded public areas.

Police are still at a loss on how to deal with the
phenomenon, the Maariv daily reported Sunday.

“Today, every criminal organization, even the smallest ones,
have bomb makers and an explosives warehouse,” explained a senior police
source.

Another officer added that “assassinations with explosives
have replaced the classic drive-by hit from the back of a motorcycle.”

In February, there was a surge in attempted murders of
leading figures in Israel’s organized crime scene, especially in Rishon Lezion.
Two people were killed when a car exploded in Rishon Lezion in late February.

Two weeks earlier, a car exploded in southern Tel Aviv,
injuring two people, in what police suspect was a criminal underworld attack.
Two brothers were wounded, both of whom had criminal records.

In January, a car exploded next to a bus in central Tel Aviv
in what was reported as an attempted mob hit. At least seven people were
lightly injured in that blast.

Reports indicated that the explosion was an
assassination attempt on Nissim Alperon. Alperon, a member of a prominent crime
family, escaped with only scratches.

In response to the growing trend, Police Superintendent
Yohanan Danino established a unit in Lahav 433 — the organized crime-fighting
body also known as the Israeli FBI — to deal with these bomb attacks. Maariv
reported that since the unit was established, five people have been killed in such
attacks.

“Israel Police treats these incidents with utmost gravity
and invests great effort and resources in investigating them,” a police
spokesperson told Maariv. “In addition, law enforcement units are operating to
prevent them, and more than a few such attacks have been foiled.”

“It should be noted that serious crimes of this type demand
deep and complex investigations, patience, and long-term investment. In Lahav
433, a unit has been established recently whose purpose is to deal with the use
of explosives, with an emphasis on prevention,” said the source.